Pizza Hut targets Subway market with new sandwich, P’Zolo

Pizza Hut has announced its newest addition to their menu – only it’s not a pizza, it’s a sandwich! The P’Zolo, Pizza Hut’s take on the sandwich, might look like a cross between a sub and a roll but is a definite answer to sandwich market monopolist, Subway.

The P’Zolo boasts Meat Trio, Italian Steak, and Buffalo Chicken and comes with either a ranch or marinara sauce. It’s $3 for a sandwich and $5 for two! The $5 price tag is an obvious reference to the cost of Subway’s foot-long subs.

The heated P’Zolo is aimed towards sandwich-lovers and consists of melty meat and choose-filled foods, baked in a soft golden crust, sprinkled with Asiago cheese

Pizza Hut’s P’Zolo campaign – also called the ‘Subway Takeover’ – will see Chicago Red Line Trains transform into giant P’Zolos. Freebies for passengers and some not-so-subtle advertising are sure to create the stir Pizza Hut seeks: “Rescuing sandwich-lovers from the doldrums of cold cuts”; “Say so long to the footlong” and “More bang for your 5 bucks” are just some of the sensational tag lines thought up by advertising firm Martin Agency that have successfully got the media talking about the launch. The Chicago trains will also be wrapped in text reading: “See ya subs. This is the P’Zolo”

Pizza Hut’s chief marketing officer, Kurt Kane, says: “It’s more than a sandwich. It’s a new flavour creation that is leaving the sub category behind.”

“At Pizza Hut we’re known for constantly dreaming up great new flavour experiences on behalf of our consumers. When we took a look at the sub category we decided consumers needed us to bring this same approach to that space. We think people are quickly going to see they can get a lot more for their $5 with the new P’Zolo.”

Part of Yum Brands, Pizza Hut had previously tried to enter the sandwich market with the pizza-style calzone – the P’Zone.